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Unlike many countries overseas, the US is a car dependent country. Americans don’t think twice about jumping in a car, but any foreigner would be perplexed why it is so hard to travel around most of the country without your own vehicle. While Atlanta, Georgia has one of the bigger US public transportation systems, MARTA, it is still fairly car dependent.

Atlanta is known for having horrendous traffic. With the horrible traffic you would think the city would be more walkable. While locals and visitors alike flock to the beautiful green spaces in the city and the many trails and parks for walking, for some reason people seem to avoid walking between them. That doesn’t mean you can’t and that there aren’t walkable pockets of the city!

Whether you are looking to move to one of the best neighborhoods in Atlanta or are spending 3 days in Atlanta and want to walk in some local areas this guide will help you discover the most walkable neighborhoods in Atlanta.

The Most Walkable Neighborhoods in Atlanta

A neighborhood walk is often seen as something you only do in your own neighborhood. Many people don’t venture to other neighborhoods in their own city. Whether I am living somewhere or traveling to a new city I love strolling through the different parts of town. Yes, I check out the hip and touristy areas, but there is something peaceful about seeing how people live.  

Not all of Atlanta’s neighborhoods have sidewalks so some neighborhoods are more walkable than others. Once completed, the 22 mile BeltLine loop trail will connect 45 neighborhoods. The best walkable neighborhoods in Atlanta are all located near the BeltLine so you can access them easily. No need to only stay in your own neighborhood. 

I provided the Walk Score and how each neighborhood ranks compared to the other Atlanta neighborhoods. This is a metric used in cities around the country to rate how walkable an area or city is out of 100. It is based on how easy it is to complete errands and daily life on foot only. Therefore this score is not as relevant if you are simply looking to take a stroll, but if you are looking to live in an area where you don’t need a car this is a good factor to consider. Overall Atlanta has a rating of 48.

Inman Park

Inman Park was planned in the 1880s by Joel Hurt and named for his friend Samuel Inman. It was reachable by the Atlanta streetcar and designed to be a segregated community for the well off. Beautiful mansions filled the streets then and still do. Since then Inman Park, like many other neighborhoods, has gone through some changes. There was an exodus of the middle and upper classes to the suburbs when the Victorian style seemed outdated and in-town neighborhoods were becoming less safe.

In more recent years the neighborhood has gentrified and diversified. It is now one of the nicest in-town neighborhoods to live in with some modern complexes alongside the more historic homes. Not to mention it is a great stop for any foodie! Eat your way through the neighborhood and learn more about the history on an Inman Park Food Tour. Be on the lookout for the butterfly motif throughout the houses and streets.

With the gorgeous houses and the manicured lawns you’ll be tempted to walk with your head in the air. Be sure to take a look at the ground from time to time because many of the sidewalks are full of old, uneven and uprooted bricks and stones.

It is handy to both the BeltLine and the PATH trails in the large linear Freedom Park. In addition to the trails and walking the quaint tree lined residential streets, there are a couple of other nice green areas. Springvale Park is a hidden park with a tiny path along a pond and nice playground. One of the slides is super tall. I may have just given it a try!

Walk Score: 85 (ranks 6/160)

Virginia-Highland

It seems the further you go north in Atlanta the less sidewalks you find. Virginia-Highland (Va-HI) to the east of Midtown and Piedmont Park isn’t too far north, but it is one of the last neighborhoods with sidewalks on every street.

The neighborhood is mostly residential with tree lined streets of historic homes. It is another one of Atlanta’s original streetcar suburbs that could be reached in the late 1800s. At that time it was mostly countryside. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that streets and houses were built. Just like Inman Park and many other in-town neighborhoods there was a decline in the neighborhood in the 1960s.

A proposed plan involved running I-485 through the neighborhood. Thanks to the the Virginia–Highland Civic Association the project did not go through as planned. In the following years gentrification and zoning laws ensured that VA-HI would remain the historical and walkable neighborhood it continues to be today.

Some small commercial areas can be found along North Highland Ave NE. Don’t be deterred by the sound of commercial. These areas are cute and dotted with boutique shops and independent restaurants. It is the perfect mix of small businesses, residential streets and small green spaces.

Walk Score: 78 (ranks 14/160)

Cabbagetown

There’s something about Cabbagetown that makes me feel relaxed every time I walk through the neighborhood. The streets are full of colorful bungalow style homes from the late 1880s with lawns bursting with plants and flowers. The houses were built for workers of a cotton mill. Maybe it was living in Russia and seeing one white communist building after another, but I have a love for these colorful houses! 

The neighborhood has a small town, old south feel to it as well. Not the big plantation homes, but the small rural houses. Perhaps the man sitting on a rocking chair whittling wood on the front porch of his house got that notion in my head! People will wave and say hello to you here. I have lived in places that are stereotyped as having the rudest people (NYC & Russia) and where overly friendly people will stop and talk to you for 10 minutes about the weather (small town Wisconsin). Atlanta and neighborhoods like Cabbagetown are the perfect balance of friendly people that will smile as you pass them, but don’t interfere with your walk. 

Most streets are comprised of houses, but there are two small parks and a few restaurants. The neighborhood is also fairly artsy with the large art murals along Wylie Street that lead to Krog Street Tunnel. The graffiti filled tunnel that connects Cabbagetown with Inman Park is one of the city’s go to photo spots. Honestly I don’t see the appeal and much prefer the painted murals, but decide for yourself!

Walk Score: 85 (ranks 9/160)

Grant Park

Keep heading south to Grant Park to the large park and neighborhood with the same name. There’s quite a friendly, community feel to Grant Park as well. The streets have sidewalks and provide a peaceful walk to admire the many Victorian era houses in the area. Take note of the house numbers which are all on yellow sunburst shaped signs. It is one of a few of Atlanta’s neighborhoods that have signature signs on every house. 

It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. Middle and upper middle class families began living in the neighborhood in the 1890s. Today there isn’t a lot of new construction and many of the original homes remain. The majority of new houses are built in the style of the older ones.

The blocks surrounding the park and Zoo Atlanta are all primarily residential with a few churches sprinkled in. A few places to eat with a great neighborhood vibe are around the northern end of the park. Even further north on Memorial Drive SE there are a lot of restaurants and the Beacon on the south end of the neighborhood is a new area with restaurants, bars and some retail options.

While new areas like the Beacon are developing in the neighborhood, there aren’t as many amenities here as in the other neighborhoods in this post. It is a great area to go for a leisurely, uncrowded walk, but it wouldn’t be as easy to live here without a car.

Walk Score: 58 (ranks 49/160)

Sweet Auburn

North of Grant Park and West of Inman Park is the Sweet Auburn neighborhood. This neighborhood has a rich African American history. In the 1920s it became the center of Black business in Atlanta. Fortune magazine called it “the richest Negro street in America” in 1956.

It is centered around (Sweet) Auburn Ave. Along this street you will find Martin Luther King Jr’s birth-home and the MLK Jr Historic Park. Continue further west to the small African American Apex Museum.

Lining the street between the two are sign posts with historical information about the street, the homes and the people who have lived here over the years. It is not only one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Atlanta, but also one of the most historical. Take a MLK Jr walking tour and learn even more than you would on your own. 

Auburn Ave and Edgewood Ave, the other main street in the neighborhood, will take you to downtown Atlanta if you head west. The neighborhood is a little grittier than the other ones mentioned, but it is worth a visit to learn about the history in the area.

Walk Score: 91 (ranks 4/160)

Midtown

Midtown, in the center of the city, is a good neighborhood to stay in while visiting Atlanta. When in Midtown you are well connected to the rest of the city both on foot and by public transportation. It is a commercial and business area with restaurants, shopping, theaters and more. While many call Midtown home during the workday many others live in the luxury high-rises as well. When in Midtown pretty much anything you need is within walking distance.

It’s not a neighborhood where you will see people out for a walk. Yes, people are out walking, but they are usually walking to somewhere. For both leisurely walks and active runs people head to Piedmont Park and the Eastside BeltLine trail, both in Midtown. It’s also a great neighborhood for a mystery picnic!

The neighborhood is one of the few where it is actually better not to have a car. Parking fees are high and there is a lot of traffic. Sometimes it is almost quicker to walk than sit at all the traffic lights block after block.

Walk Score: 86 (ranks 5/160)

Downtown Atlanta 

You may be wondering if Downtown is going to make the list? When I checked out other posts it was on every one because of the high walkability score. The sidewalks, easy access to amenities and the transit connections make it a walkable neighborhood.

Is it a nice one? That is another question! I never choose to walk downtown unless there is a specific purpose. It’s not a neighborhood to go wandering around in just for fun.

There are some great tourist spots like the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca Cola. This area around Centennial Olympic Park is busier and filled with more tourists during the day.

In lower downtown unfortunately there is a pretty large homeless population that hangs out in the streets. Green spaces and charming residential areas are also lacking. In the evenings after businesses and tourist attractions close it can become fairly deserted. It’s not necessarily an unsafe area, but it is full of concrete and people who are having a tough time. The majority of big businesses aren’t located downtown either.

If you are heading to an attraction downtown it is fine to walk, but I wouldn’t go downtown to go for a nice neighborhood or city walk.

Walk Score: 96 (ranks 2/160)

Atlanta may not rank high overall for a walkable city, but when you know where the best walking neighborhoods in Atlanta are you will love walking in the city as much as I do. 

More in Atlanta

ACTIVITIES:

• 3 Day Itinerary
• Explore the Best Neighborhoods
• Festivals
• When to Visit
• Date Ideas

ART:

• Tiny Doors
• Murals by Neighborhood

FOOD:

• Casual Restaurants
• BeltLine Restaurants
• Breakfast Restaurants
• Brunch Places
• Atlanta BBQ
• Chicken & Waffles
• Donuts
• Mystery Picnics

OUTDOORS: 

• Chattahoochee River Trails
  
• Places to Walk
• Hiking Near Atlanta

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